Washing-machine



F. RITZ AND J. H. BROOK.

WKSHING MACHINE. APPLICATION HLE D JAN-'27, I920.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

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F. RITZ AND I'. H. BROOK.

WASHING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-27,1920. 1398,9690 Patented 001; 18, 1921;

' 3 SHEETS\SHEI 2.

' F. RITZ AND 1. H. BROOK. WASHING MACHINE.

APPLI no L 01 N. .192.

c N n E A 21 o. Patented Oct 18,1921.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIOE.

FRANK RITZ AND JOHN H. BROOK, OF TORONTO, ONTARIO, CANADA, ASSIGNORS TO THE SUN ELEOTRO WORKS, OF TORONTO, CANADA.

wasnmc-macnmn Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

Application filed January 27, 1920. Serial No. 354,371.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that FRANK RITz and JOHN H. BROOK, both subjects of the King of Great Britain, and residents of the city of Toronto, Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Washing-Machines; and we do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,

. Our invention relates particularly to electrically driven washing machines and has for its object to provide a machine in which a maximum agitation of the clothes will be obtained without subjecting 'them to the wear and tear experienced in the majority of washing machines in use at the present time. This maximum agitation of the clothes enables them to be thoroughly washed in a very short time. A further object is to provide a simplified driving mechanism for the washing and wringing mechanisms and which will be automatically disconnected from the wringing mechanism if the latter should become jammed, thereby eliminating the possibility of the motor being burnt out.

To this end our invention consists of the particular construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and pointed out in the claims.

For full comprehension, however, of our invention, reference must be had to the accompanying drawings in which similar ref: erence characters indicate the same parts, and wherein:

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in sec tion, of a washing machine constructed according to our invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar view and taken at right angles to Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail, plan view of the clothes agitatorremoved;

Fi 4 is asectional view taken on line Hie Fig, 5 1s a sectional vlew taken on vlme 5-5 ig. 7

power transmission device;

Fig. 8 is a plan view of the tubwith the to removed; and

igs. 9 and 10 are detail views of the man-.' ually operated device for operating the downward extension 26 passing through the wrin'ger.

Figll 6 is a sectional view taken on line Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view of the 'be permanently connected to the water supply pipe line in substitution for the stationary tubs which are in common use at the present time or it may be made portable by mounting it upon legs 3 having rollers 4 at their lower ends, such lower ends being offset as at 5 for stability. The tub presents a smooth exterior surface while a vertically corrugated lining 6 is mounted on the inner face of its surroundin wall, the corrugations extending from t e bottom to within close proximity of the top thereof and being adapted to cooperate with. the agitator in was ing the clothes. A cover 7 having a circumferential flange 8 and handles 9 is adapted to close the tub and it is slightly concaved as at 10 and provided with a hole 12 in its center to cause the water which is wrung from the clothes to run into the tub.

The agitator consists of a propeller member 13 disposed on a vertical axis and capable of both oscillatory and axial movement. It comprises preferably three ra dially disposed tapered blades 14 with intermediate membcrs 15. The underside of each blade is upwardly and outwardlyinclined as at 16 and is vertically slotted as at 17, the inclined surfaces giving to the clothes being washed a tendency to move outwardly against the corrugated wall and the slots assisting in the agitation of the water.

In order that the agitator may be removed and inserted at will its bore is provided with preferably three feather-ways 18 with which longitudinal feathers 19 on a power-transmission sleeve 20 register the lower ends of the feathers terminating in a circumferential head 21 which limits downward movement of the agitator. The sleeve is verticall dis osed and located in the center of the tu an extends substantially from the bottom to the top thereof. Its upper end 22 is closed audit incloses with a sliding fit a hollow standard 23 the base 24 of which is of increased diameter and is clamped upon the ance to movement of the latter in both dibottom. A shaft passes up through the The free end of the controlling lever 60 is bore of the standard and its upper end 31 is squa'red and projects into a squared socket 32 in the closed end 22 of the sleeve. The lower end of the shaft is j ournaled in a boss 33 formed integrally with a platform 34 supported by lugs 35 on the legs 3. ThlS platform also supports the motor and the transmission mechanism effecting an operative connection between it and the shaft 30. This operative connection consists of a bevel ear 41 rigidly mounted upon shaft 30 ad acent the downward extension 26.- This gear intermeshes with a segmental gear 42 the lower end of which terminates in an arm 43 and is fulcrumed as at 44 in a In 45 on the platform; oppositely disposed he ical springs 37 having their opposite ends connected to the underside of the tub and the segmental gear offer a yielding resistrections. The arm 43 is operatively connected by a link 46 to a crank arm 47 keyed to a horizontal shaft 48 journaled in bearin s 49 on the platform.

ounted uponthis shaft substantially midwa the length of the same and rotatable re atively thereto is a comparatively large worm-wheel 50, in intermeshing relation with a worm 51 on the shaft'52 of the motor.

To avoid the necessity of driving both agitator and wringer simultaneously clutch mechanisms are provided to effect the operative connections. The clutch which efi'ects connection between the worm wheel and shaft 48 consists of. three members 53, 54 and. 55. The member 53 is a collar keyed to shaft 48 and presents a pair of fixed jaws 56 for engagement with a pair of jaws'57 on the intermediate member 54 which ismovable relatively to the other members. This'movable member is also a collar-and has a second pair of jaws 58 which are "adapted to engage jaws 59 on the third the movable clutch member consists of a controlling lever 60 fulcrumed as at 62 and adapted to actuate a short sleeve 63 havi aforked lateral extension 64straddling the movable clutch member. and registering with a groove thereim'the sleeve 63 is slidably mounted on a rod 65 and a helical spring 66 encircling the latter is adapted to yieldingly maintain the clutch member54.

out of engagement with the member 53."

located at the front of the tub immediately beneath the same and it may be locked in position-with the clutch members 53 and 54 in relative interengagement by a shoulder 70 presented by a guide 71 through which the lever projects.

The wringer proper, which is indicated at 80, is constructed and arranged to swing laterally above the top of the tub upon an upward extension of .a bearin bracket 82 secured to the adjacent wall of t e tub. This is accomplished by means of a bracket secured to one end of the wringer near the bottom thereof and having a collar 83 encircling the extension 82, the collar being split as at 84 and adapted to be clamped in any desired positionby a screw 85 having a handle 87. This construction and arrangement of parts enables the-wringer to be so positioned that the clothes being wrung out may be transferred from the machine to inde ndent tubs.

he mechanism for efiecting an operative connection betweemthe rolls of the wringer which are indicated at- 86 and 88 and the worm-wheel 50 consists of a bevel gear 89 mounted upon the end of the roll 88adjacent the collar 83 and intermeshin with a second bevel gear 90 mounted rigidly upon the upper end of a vertical shaft 91 which passes. downwardly through a vertical boring 92 in the bracket 82 to a point within close proximity to the shaft 48 the shaft being housed by a sleeve 93 having its opposite end connected to the bracket 82 and a second bearing bracket 94 of angular form mounted upon the platform 34 with its upper end overhanging a movable du lex clutch mem:

ber of a clutch for operative y connecting the" worm-wheel 50 to the shaft 91. This duplex member which is'mounted upon shaft 48 and rotatably and axially movable relatively thereto, consists of a pair of spaced 'miter gears 96 and 97 connected together by an intermediate sleeve 98, the gears being located on opposite sides of the fixed clutch member which is a ear 95 mounted upon the lower 'end of sha 91. The gears 96 and 97 are spaced a sufiicient distance apart to enable them to be so positioned that neither will be in intermeshing relation with the gear 95. The duplex clutch member is operatively connected to theworm-wheel 50 by a pair ofinterengaging collars 99 and 100 the former being rotatable in unison with the worm-wheel. These collars are constantly in interengagement irrespective of the duplex clutch member, their function being to permit of axial movement of'the latter while eflecting an operative connection between the same and the worm-wheel 50. In order to provide a manually operated means for shifting the duplex member to start the wringer or to reverse the direction of rotation of the rolls thereof an operating lever is connected to the duplex member. This operating lever which is indicated at 175 parallel to the shaft 91 has its upper end fulcrumed in a bracket 101 secured to the side of the tub. -This bracket has a flange 102 with preferably three notches 103, 104 and 105 therein, the intermediate notch 104 being deeper than the other two and adapted to receive a detent 106 formed integrally with a handle 109 and the lever when the duplex clutch member is in neutral position and the wringeridle the detent registering with either of the notches 103 or 105 when the duplex member is in intermeshing relation with the gear 95. A helical spring 110 which encircles the upper end of the lever and bears between a collar 112 thereon and the bracket 101 yieldingly retains the detent in the notch in which it has been positioned the lower end of the lever 175 is mounted in a bracket 113 and operatively connected to a short rod 114 through anoflset pin 115 engaging an eye 116 in the outer end of said rod. This rod projects slidably through bracket 94 and is connected to a forked arm 117 straddling the collar 100 which is connected to the duplex clutch member. By turningthe operating lever on its axis a pull or push is exerted upon the rod through the offset pin 115 which causes axial travel of the duplex member. With this construction and arrangement of parts when the load of the wringer becomes too great for the motor the outward thrust of the miter gears will automatically shift the duplex member out of engagement with gear 95 thereby preventing the motor being burned out.

All the interengaging parts which are liable to catch the clothes of the operator are inclosed in housings 200..

Qpemtz'on.

The operation of our improved washing machine is as follows:

The tub is filled with water to the desired level and the clothes placed between the agitator and the surrounding walls of the tub with the clothes in position and the cover clamped on tight the machine is ready to be set in motion.

The motor is now started by closing the circuit (not shown) and the controlling lever moved to the left into engagement with the shoulder 70, this movement of the lever shifting the movable clutch 54 into interengagement with the member 53 thereby effecting an operative connection between the motor and bevel car 41 through shaft 48, crank-arm 47, lini 46 and segmental gear 42. As shaft 48 rotates moving with it the crank-arm 47, the segmental gear is caused to oscillate the springs 37 ofierin a yielding resistance to such a movement. his OSOinfln tory movement is transmitted through the bevel gear 41 to itsshaft 30 which actuates the agitator 13 through the lower transmission sleeve 20. As the agitator oscillates the extent of the oscillation being approximately one half revolution, the clothes rub against the corrugated side of the tub and the agitator is free to follow the path of least resistance and to move up and .down its sleeve 20 thereby overcoming the wear and tear which is frequently experienced in ma chines of this type. When the clothes have been thoroughly washed the water may be drained off through a waste outlet (not shown) and the clothes removed. If desired the agitator may also be lifted out and the interior cleaned out.

The clothes may now be passed through the wringer, the latter being set in motion by moving the handle 109 of the lever 175 to the left or right-thereby seating the detent 106 in one of the notches 103 or 105 and shifting the duplex member into engagement with the, gear 105. The direction of rotation of the wringer rolls is reversed by'moving the handle 107 in the opposite direction to its initial movement.

What we claim is as follows:

1. In a washing machine, an agitator presenting a plurality of radially disposed blades, each'blade being slotted and having its underside inclined upwardly and outwardly.

2. In a washing mac-nine, an agitator presenting a plurality of radially disposed blades, each blade being tapered toward its outer end and having a vertical slot therein and having its underside inclined upwardly and outwardly and members of substantially triangular cross section located between theblade, each presenting a face at an obtuse angle to the adjacent faces of the blades.

In testimony whereof we have signed our names to this specification in the presence of twowitnesses.

FRANK RITZ. JOHN H. BROOK. Witnesses:

H. M. CnisnMAN, F. M. DAVIS. 

